“MA MÈRE L’OYE” (MOTHER GOOSE), FIVE CHILDREN’S PIECES
I. Pavane de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Pavane of Sleeping Beauty) II. Petit Poucet (Hop o’ my Thumb) III. Laideronnette, Impératrice des Pagodes (Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas) IV. Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (Conversations of Beauty and the Beast) V. Le Jardin Féerique (The Fairy Garden)
Ravel’s music is of the most delicate texture, lacework with exquisite thoughts orchestrated as for the little orchestra of ivory instruments imagined by Jules Laforgue. Although to the eye the structure of the score is simple, the performance demands the utmost skill on the part of the players and the finest taste of an imaginative conductor. It would be hard to say which of the five movements is the most beautiful in fancy. The “Pavane” has a subtle, melancholy charm. “Hop o’ my Thumb” is curiously rhythmed and strangely effective by means of orchestration. “Laideronnette” in the movement of a march is delightful, and with the movement that follows, in the time of a slow waltz and with a solo for the double bassoon representing the Beast, wins immediate popularity. In the ballet the Apotheosis was the “Fairy Garden,” and this movement, too, is most poetic.
These pieces were originally composed in 1908 for pianoforte (four hands), and for the pleasure of the children, Mimie and Jean Godebski, to whom they were dedicated when the pieces were published in 1910. They were first performed at a concert of the Société Musicale Indépendante, Salle Gaveau, Paris, on April 20, 1910. The pianists were Christine Verger, six years old, and Germaine Duramy, ten years old.
I. “Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty.” Lent, A minor, 4-4. This movement is only twenty measures long. It is based on the opening phrase for flute, horns, and violas.
II. “Hop o’ my Thumb.” Ravel has quoted in the score this passage from Perrault’s tale: “He believed that he would easily find his path by means of his bread crumbs which he had scattered wherever he had passed; but he was very much surprised when he could not find a single crumb: the birds had come and eaten everything up.”
III. “Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas.” The French give the name pagode to a little grotesque figure with a movable head, and thus extend the meaning, which was also found in English for pagoda, “an idol or image.” This latter use of the word is now obsolete in the English language. A laideron is any ugly young girl or young woman. There is this quotation from “Serpentin Vert” by the Countess Marie Catherine d’Aulnoy (about 1655-1705) who wrote romances and also fairy tales in imitation of Perrault. “She undressed herself and went into the bath. The pagodes and pagodines began to sing and play on instruments; some had theorbos made of walnut shells; some had viols made of almond shells; for they were obliged to proportion the instruments to their figure.” Laideronnette, in the story, the daughter of a king and queen, was cursed in her cradle by Magotine, a wicked fairy, with the curse of the most horrible ugliness. When the princess grew up, she asked that she might dwell far away in a castle where no one could see her. In the forest near by she met a huge green serpent, who told her that he was once handsomer than she was. Laideronnette had many adventures. In a little boat, guarded by the serpent, she went out to sea and was wrecked on the coast of a land inhabited by pagodes, a little folk whose bodies were formed from porcelain, crystal, diamonds, emeralds, etc. The ruler was an unseen monarch—the green snake who also had been enchanted by Magotine. Finally, he was changed into human shape, and he married Laideronnette, whose beauty was restored.
IV. “The Conversations of Beauty and the Beast.” Quotations from Mme Leprince de Beaumont are given:
“‘When I think how good-hearted you are, you do not seem to me so ugly.’
“‘Yes, I have, indeed, a kind heart; but I am a monster.’
“‘There are many men more monstrous than you.’
“‘If I had wit, I would invent a fine compliment to thank you, but I am only a beast.’
. . . . . . .
“‘Beauty, will you be my wife?’
“‘No, Beast!’
“‘I die content since I have the pleasure of seeing you again.’
“‘No, my dear Beast, you shall not die; you shall live to be my husband!’”
The Beast had disappeared, and she saw at her feet only a prince more beautiful than Love, who thanked her for having broken his enchantment.
“Mouvement de valse très modéré,” F major, 3-4. This movement is based chiefly on a melody for the clarinet, which begins in the second measure. There is a middle section with a subject suggesting the Beast and given to the double bassoon. The two subjects are combined. At the end, a solo violin plays the theme of the middle section.
V. “The Fairy Garden.” Lent et grave, C major, 3-4. The movement is based on the opening theme for strings.
The orchestration is as follows: two flutes (and piccolo), two oboes (and English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, double bassoon, two horns, kettledrums, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, tam-tam, xylophone, glockenspiel, celesta, harp and strings.